The World of Movies: Check Please
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we run into a misunderstanding in Israel.
Check Please.
May contain spoilers.
Ah, the question! A milestone moment in many relationships, it also has great potential to go wrong – with sad or funny results. Today, we’ll pop the champagne and dive into Check Please (Daniel Sorochkin, 2015), an Israeli short. Is it a “yes” or “no”? Let’s find out.
In the midst of an inane dinner conversation, a young couple get engaged. Unfortunately, it is not our protagonists Ben and Laura (Bryan Manley Davis and Amelia Brain), though Ben had plans in that direction. Thanks to a server mixup, Ben’s ring has been delivered to the wrong table, and is now on another woman’s finger. Laura is less than pleased.
From there, the misunderstandings only escalate. While it might seem simple to fix, the situation proves to be much more delicate than imagined. Once a proposal is done, it cannot simply be undone. Rebuffed by the would-be groom (Jacob Trussell), Ben goes on a mission to take back what is his. Along the way, we go through some silly – yet oddly suspenseful – detours.
Check Please.
Sorochkin cleverly builds the story’s heightened stakes with a light touch, making great use of the confined space and the limited cast of characters. The short feels dynamic, never lingering on one interaction for too long. Some of the story rings false – I didn’t find Laura to be a particularly believable character – but Ben is convincing as a frustrated suitor. Jacob Trussell has great fun as the sleazy ring-stealer, and Matthew Porter gets some great moments as waiter Stephan. Given a little more room to expand, this cast would have been right at home in the screwball comedies of Classic Hollywood.
While this short is slight, it has some nice characterization and a great sense of pacing, along with some strong performances. I certainly hope to see Sorochkin and his cast exercise their comedic chops in the future. This fifteen-minute misadventure in love is clever and amusing. If you are looking for something enjoyable without cliches, this might be the perfect tonic.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.